JACINDA ARDERN WINS ON SOCIAL INEQUALITY ISSUE

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has won the country's general election, with the promise she will tackle social inequality in her second term.

Euronews reported that with a majority of votes counted, the leader's centre-left Labour Party had claimed 49% of the vote.

Labour was set to win 64 of the 120 seats in parliament, which would give the party a rare outright majority and make it the first in decades to be able to govern New Zealand alone.

The Labour Party had nearly double the support of its main challenger, the centre-right National Party, which stood at 27%, while the ACT New Zealand and Green parties looked set to tally 8% of ballots.

Opposition leader Judith Collins officially acknowledged Ardern's victory in a speech on Saturday night, congratulating her on an “outstanding result”.

"Three years will be gone in the blink of an eye," she said in reference to the next planned elections. "We will be back," she added, promising her party would provide a "robust opposition".

The election was widely seen as a referendum on Ardern’s leadership since she took office three years ago.

The leader's commanding victory comes after she was praised for her successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.